Toy vehicle

ABSTRACT

A toy vehicle such as an automobile, driven by an electric motor and having wheels which are steered as the vehicle moves, the steering being programmed by a control member carried by the vehicle and driven by the motor.

United States Patent [191 Strongin 11] 3,717,952 51 Feb. 27, 1973 TOY VEHICLE [76] Inventor: Ned Strongin, 1140 Broadway, New

York,N.Y. 10001 7 [22] Filed: Nov. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.2 197,247

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 25, I970 Great Britain .l ..S6,066/70 [52] US. Cl. ..46/244 D, 46/213 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/26, A63h 17/36 [58] Field of Search ..46/2l3, 244 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ferriot ..46/244 D FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 872,342 7/1961 Great Britain ..46/244 R Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney-Emory L. Groff et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A toy vehicle such as an automobile, driven by an electric motor and having wheels which are steered as the vehicle moves, the steering being programmed by a control member carried by the vehicle and driven by the motor.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 12/1969 Stohrer ..46/244D I PATENTEB FEB Z 7 I975 SHEET 16F 2 rev VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a toy vehicle comprising a wheeled chassis, an electric motor and battery for driving at least one wheel, via gearing means driven by said motor for steering a pair of wheels on a common axis transversely of the chassis, said steering means comprising a vertical spindle rotatable through gearing by the motor and extending into a well accessible from the underside of the chassis, a steering control disc axially engageable on said spindle in said well, manually releasable means for holding said disc in said well, a contoured control groove in a surface of said disc, and a rocker arm coupled at one end into thegroove and at its other end to the said pair of wheels to effect steering of said wheels in accordance with the contoured control groove.

The chassis preferably has a recess in from its underside into which a disc can be inserted with means for retaining said disc in position, the upper surface of the disc having a groove therein in which one end of a v pivoted control arm engages, is rocked by the shape of the groove as the disc rotates, the wheels are steered. Thus the arm may have a pin at one end to engage in the groove, the other end of said arm being connected to the front wheels so that said wheels are steered unitarily.

The disc can be driven by gearing such as'cogged wheels, worm gearing or the like but preferably is driven by a co-axial drive disc with a ratchet toothed periphery in which a reciprocating pawl driven by the motor engages.

The chassis conveniently comprises a platform with upstanding longitudinal ribs and carrying an electric motor at its rear end, with means on its upper surface to support a battery or batteries and a circular aperture through the platform above which the drive disc is supported so that a well is formed in from the bottom of the platform to receive the control disc. In order to ensure that the wheel steering follows the desired programme, a click-stop arrangement can be provided so that a number of steered positions are provided, the control disc moving the front wheels according to the edge, or surface shaping, the click-stop mechanism retaining the wheels in the programmed position.

I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings show a toy automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings: I

FIG. 1 is a plan,

FIG. an underneath plan,

FIG. 3 a side view,

FIG. 4 a front view FIG. 5 a transverse section on the line A-A, FIG. 1,

and

FIG. 6 6A-6C show certain forms of discs each with its associated steered path of the vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS eccentric 15 which rotates with the shaft 14, the eccentric being embraced by a yoke 16 at the rear end of a bar 17, the arrangement being such that as the shaft rotates the bar reciprocates longitudinally of the chas- SIS.

At about the center of the platform 10 is a circular aperture above which and in parallel relation to the platform is a circular plate 18, so that a well 19 (FIG. 5) is formed. A drive disc 20 with a depending axial spindle 21 is supported on the plate 18, this disc being held by a clip or washer 22, and having a ratchet toothed periphery 23, which is engaged by the front end of the bar 17. In this way as the bar reciprocates the drive disc is moved step-by'step fashion, being constrained against reverse movement by a spring blade 24.

A control disc 25 (FIG. 5 and sheet 2) is received in the well, being held by a pivoted cross-bar 26, this disc being driven by the disc 20. The disc 25 has a groove G in its upper surface, the shape .of which determines the steering programme and in which groove a peg 27 at the rear end of an arm 26 engages, this arm being pivoted in its length on a pin 29 and biassed upwardly (FIG. I) by a spring wire 30. The disc also has a cut-out or notch 35 in its periphery in which a hump of a spring I switch arm 36 engages when the cut-out or notch coincides with the hump. In this position contacts c,c are open and the supply from the batteries is interrupted.

Front wheels F, F are each mounted on a vertical stub axle 31, 31, and are coupled by a transverse link bar 32, so that transverse movement of the bar 32 effects the steering of the front wheels. As shown, there are three positions of steering defined by a click-stop assembly comprising three V-notches in the link bar 32, and a spring blade 33, these positions being left turn, straight and right turn. More positions could be arranged for, although this click-stop is not essential.

The bar 32 has two spaced upstanding pins 34, 34, between which the front end of the arm 28 is received. Thus, as the control disc turns the bar 32 is moved transversely according to the form of the groove G in the said disc.

FIGS. 6A-6C show various forms of disc grooves to provide different steering programs. The motor is started by turning the disc so that the contacts c,c en- It will be understood that a body such as shown in broken lines FIG. 3 is provided. This can be arranged to engage on the chassis by a snap action e.g. by a catch 36 and can be interchangeable.

I claim:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled chassis, an electric motor and battery for driving at least one wheel, via gearing means driven by said motor for steering a pair of wheels on a common axis transversely of the chassis, said steering means comprising a vertical spindle rotatable through gearing by the motor and extending into a well accessible from the underside of the chassis, a steering control disc axially engageable on said spindle in said well, manually releasable means for holding said disc in said well, a contoured control groove in a surface of said disc, and a rocker arm coupled at one end into the groove and at its other end to the said pair of wheels to effect steering of said wheels in accordance with the contoured control groove.

2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising a drive disc carrying said spindle, a ratchet tooth periphery on said drive disc and a pawl reciprocated by said motor engaging said tooth periphery to rotate the drive disc. I

3. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of control discs any one of which is selectively engageable on said spindle.

4. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising onoff switch contacts mounted on said chassis adjacent the control disc and connected in the electric circuit to the motor, and means on said control disc for opening or closing said contacts.

5. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the control disc has a notch in its periphery adapted to cooperate with said contacts.

6. A toy vehicle comprising a chassis including a platform with two parallel spaced longitudinal ribs, a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels carried by said chassis, a battery carrying cradle on the outside of each rib, an electric motor in a compartment at the rear of said chassis, drive gearing between said motor and a rear wheel shaft, an eccentric on said shaft, a bar extending forwardly from said eccentric to be reciprocated by said eccentric, a drive disc carrying an axial and vertical spindle substantially at the center of said chassis, ratchet teeth on the periphery of said drive disc engaged by the front end of said bar, a control disc releasably mounted in a well below and co-axial with said drive disc, a contoured steering control groove in a surface of said disc, and a mechanical coupling between said groove and the front wheels to steer said front wheels in accordance with the groove contour. 

1. A toy vehicle comprising a wheeled chassis, an electric motor and battery for driving at least one wheel, via gearing means driven by said motor for steering a pair of wheels on a common axis transversely of the chassis, said steering means comprising a vertical spindle rotatable through gearing by the motor and extending into a well accessible from the underside of the chassis, a steering control disc axially engageable on said spindle in said well, manually releasable means for holding said disc in said well, a contoured control groove in a surface of said disc, and a rocker arm coupled at one end into the groove and at its other end to the said pair of wheels to effect steering of said wheels in accordance with the contoured control groove.
 2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising a drive disc carrying said spindle, a ratchet tooth periphery on said drive disc and a pawl reciprocated by said motor engaging said tooth periphery to rotate the drive disc.
 3. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of control discs any one of which is selectively engageable on said spindle.
 4. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising on-off switch contacts mounted on said chassis adjacent the control disc and connected in the electric circuit to the motor, and means on said control disc for opening or closing said contacts.
 5. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the control disc has a notch in its periphery adapted to co-operate with said contacts.
 6. A toy vehicle comprising a chassis including a platform with two parallel spaced longitudinal ribs, a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels carried by said chassis, a battery carrying cradle on the outside of each rib, an electric motor in a compartment at the rear of said chassis, drive gearing between said motor and a rear wheel shaft, an eccentric on said shaft, a bar extending forwardly from said eccentric to be reciprocated by said eccentric, a drive disc carrying an axial and vertical spindle substantially at the center of said chassis, ratchet teeth on the periphery of said drive disc engaged by the front end of said bar, a control disc releasably mounted in a well below and co-axial with said drive disc, a contoured steering control groove in a surface of said disc, and a mechanical coupling between said groove and the front wheels to steer said front wheels in accordance with the groove contour. 